Contributed by Celest Foo and Allan Moo
The Creative Cultural Festival (CCF), organized by New Life Church (Taiwan) (NLC) and Rainbow Heaven (Taiwan), is a non-profit organization that helps to effect a positive transformation in Taiwan’s youth. This year’s CCF was held over three days from 26 to 28 June 2009.
The event took place at the main shopping district of Taipei’s east side on Chung Xiao East Road, attracting a large crowd. It launched with opening speeches by Kong Hee of City Harvest Church (Singapore), Dr AR Bernard of Christian Cultural Centre (New York), and Abraham Ku, the senior pastor of NLC.
The focus of the festival covered three Cs, namely, creativity (the festival sought to encourage young people to be creative and to embrace culture); character (helping young people to develop sound character) and charity (it encouraged the young to show care and concern for others).
There were more than 30 booths lined up along the crowded square near the main shopping district area, and another 15 booths inside NLC. Each booth was decorated with different themes to showcase the creativity of the youths. One booth featured a giant dartboard painted with human frailty, such as, condemning thoughts, depression, greed and grudges. The participant had to shout out his area of weakness (make a verbal confession) and throw a water-balloon at the particular area of weakness that he wanted to see a change in (action). There was also a booth that auctioned off items contributed by famous Mando Pop celebrities, such as, Jolin Tsai’s jeans, JJ Lin’s T-shirt and FIR’s handmade soap!
A mobile stage was set up right in the middle of the square for live performances by Milk (Niu Nai), Liu Geng Hong and FIR. There to represent Singapore were singer, Allan Moo, and beauty queen, Celest Foo, performed a duet together.
This festival also served as the official launch of Rainbow Heaven’s new CD album, Faith Map, featuring songs from FIR, Liu Geng Hong, Wing, JJ Lin and Sun Ho. The album hit number three on the Taiwan music charts during the first week of its launch.
  |
| PHOTOS: Allan Moo |
Over the weekend, NLC held its weekend service, which was packed with young people. During the service, an interview was conducted by Liu with four beauty queens from Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore. The interview was meant to encourage the youth to step out and engage culture boldly, participating in beauty pageants and other similar competitions.
The City Harvest Youth worship team from Singapore, made up of musicians and singers aged 25 and under, led in praise and worship during the church service. Kong then preached a message on Christians living out the Cultural Mandate, followed by Bernard expounding on Christ in Culture, stressing on the importance of having godly character and upright values as one engages culture. A record-breaking 15,000 young people attended the entire festival, which included the NLC weekend services.
